Meritorious Service Medal

• Awarded on: May 26, 2003
• Invested on: December 05, 2003

Barbara Tarbox, M.S.M. (posthumous), Edmonton, Alberta
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)

When the late Barbara Tarbox was diagnosed, in September 2002, with terminal lung cancer, she devoted the last months of her life to educating school groups about the dangers of smoking. On her own initiative, Mrs. Tarbox brought her strong anti-smoking message to more than 50,000 teenagers throughout Alberta and in cities such as Victoria, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. She also became a spokesperson for a smoking cessation media campaign in Alberta and appeared in a series of commercials to convey her passionate message aimed at reducing tobacco use. Sadly, Mrs. Tarbox lost her battle to cancer in May 2003, at the age of 42.